The Wasp — 1896 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "The Wasp" Page, January 1, 1896 This page shows *The Wasp* masthead and a single cartoon titled "An Enjoyable Social Function." The sketch depicts a man (identified as "Mr. Jackson Hytke") conversing with a reclining woman ("Miss Octavia Street") at what appears to be a wedding reception. The dialogue satirizes wedding gift-giving customs: Hytke asks about the bride's most charming wedding features, and Street responds that the bride's dress fit poorly and guests made unflattering remarks about the gifts received. This is genteel social satire targeting upper-class wedding etiquette and the awkward tension between polite appearances and honest observations—specifically, how supposedly elegant social events often involve concealed criticism and disappointment about gifts and fashion.